Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-07-29
THE ACE OF HEARTS.

izal haIf human their brains are CON
srrncred differently from the rest of the
worIL and they've n passionate. ferocious
way of looking at. YES, and of treating
r,e, and things thai amaze even thosr
WIN know them we'll
And Won say this Of your own country
and countrymens''
Yes he repeated II do" and vet IL
( ever there WAS a Russian completely un-
: PuSsioniyei a Nusroyite in whom Won
would find mo- trace of the Cnssack. n Cos
s.ct in vb,,u yn,, ,vnuld find mn trace of
the hear II was This same hir blonde
fender hearted Boris Nirskow. with a face
like a woman's and tb,. courage of IA lion.
And how he had deceived us at first with
that onnearancp Of artless etreminacy-
for no one in all St. Petersburg had been
the hero OF so many and thrilling adven-
lures ss This careless and light hearted
fellow
''You know the Prince de b" he
continued. still bent on convincing me that
he was right. AT least nv reputation and
/ that. although a complete invalid and
nailed To his chair he was the most in
veterate gambler. and lived but for the
( qualification of his absorbing passion
/ With scarcely strength enough in his
/ feeble hands u, ttDtu or throw tnf CartiS IN
/ return. his head was cool and his mind as
clear as a crystal In short. he was past
| master of the art. particularly of the in
| tricacies of ecarte, that fascinating game
! in which the PLAYER finds himself evenly
! balanced between skill and the turns Of
| chsuce-a Won Moltke at cards, as the
| princess. his wife. WAS a Won Noltke at
yeneralship and hirtation: YOU remember
4
/ s.Of conrse," responded. who does
/ not'''
| But not, as Won were absent at the
| time. " he interrupted the history of her
! husbands death and nv promotion 70
! favor | was the twentieth-yes uu-
/ doubtedly the twentieth-sdorer. even
/ leaving ont some notable ones who figured
! only on the suspected list Still ] shall
not reDruach her-no heaven keep HE
! from that! for. living the life she did. and
with such a husband, il was scarcely to he
| wondered at that she drifted into the cur
! rent. like the rest of her idle and fashion
| able world Neither did it seem as if the
J prince objected 10 the character OF his
I wife's amusements; taking everything
with the emotionless passivity of philoso-
! pher. he appeared never TO see or care for
! never disturbed himself. Life is like
! cards. he would frequently say: one is
! not robbed who does no. know that he has
! been cheated
] However. said Boris. with laugh.
I perhaps The Prince de B. knew, a.
well as the rest OF us knew. that while
/ the princess conducted herself badly in
| one wav she conducted herself well in
I Ilr IN
| save appearances, she avoided all scandal:
| IN fact, ieaped from fancy to fancy with
the ease and grace of an accomplished
prcsti,ligitateur. II the husband was the
Won Moltke of gaming. the wife was the
| Robert Hondin of affaires d amour.
1T was INTERCHANGEABLE malevolence
| without saving. that brought about the
| cstastrophe at last The Princess de
| b. al the time when as | tell you
| had been taken into favor and was fever
| ishly signing at her feet. had in her ser
vice, as confidential waiting maid and
! body guard. a Young girl nv the name OF
| Olga, tzigane. devoted as fettered
panther: devoted, YES. but alas, still a
panther, Why it is impossible for me to
| saw, for have never known the reason.
| but ! was convinced that this girl de
| tested me with an intensity of hate that
| showed itself in every look and gesture
and in the leaping fiame OF her yellow and
| tigerish ewes.
1.-The princess only laughed at me when
| l spoke of this impression TO her, and until
| too late regarded it as an enchanting Joke
''One evening. as Olga came as usual to
| open the private entrance by which ell
| visitors were admitted to the shrine of the
| princess. she stopped me Mt the door
Il have something to say to you.
| Mons Mirskow, she said. something i'm
| portant. and to which you must listen
| Very well, said /, go on
"'It is this-you must no longer come
| TO visit my mistress, the Princess de
| b
My only answer was a burst of laugh
! ter
4 am serious, she insisted, with a
threatening fash from the wicked eyes:
! why doesn't matter, but You must come
here no more
Believing that she had indulged too
I freely in koumyss. or was not qnite right
| in the head, pushed her aside gently, in
| dulgent TO her supposed drunkenness and
made my way unannounced to the bou-
/ doir Of Mime. de b, hearing as I
passed from sight the savage accent of
Olga's voice calling after me: You will
repent this, NJ. de Mirskow-repent it
bitterly
| An hour afterward, rs / was still laugh
ing ap'.i. " Ml'n '.e prlilcess si,.ins otsiue
nv y" .ne i"i .ieu al, up'n
"n'cl ~ was ne, "ni''i ai"als ~ iouESe
s,n VIZ my .,e ,i..Ia u i, T -, ."uue,i
s~iI'niot ~ aipee III ,i'e ii'.i. saioa t,%' oa,ne
oe'"eei 'he p'uuoi anu 'he oe"ehan'oe,
oesoho IT. ~ ~'"'''ie" Inv .iie ius Vi
az, % aisi aiiiiiiai, anu 'he io,se vi s'r"s
s'iiis ~, uoo's'eps anu VI "tahSihs
ihe piihce' my huspaiio' crieu FIN
IA a.,o 'inS " hei ,ee' e,
"iia' III 'ne "oiiu 'ah an Ha'e napleheu.
i" Wv ,'. ""a uiaW
.us ~ 'u1iu p'ains uis'
.l'e 'oior VI 'ne iih'e VIC p'o'es'-
'"s n.st"!
"', aie mao, 'ei poei'''ets
y ;t